Fence-post.



WILLIAM H. H. SOOTHORN, OF ASHVILLE, OHIO.

' FENCE-POST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 19, 1906.

Patented June 9, 1908.

Serial No. 301,820.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLIAM II. II. Sco- THORN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ashville, R. F. D. No. 2, in the county of Pickaway and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fence-Posts, of which the following is a speci' fication.

My invention relates to improvements in fence posts to which a fence Which is already Y woven, or built, may be attached for the purpose of stretching it up and retaining it in place; or to which the wires of a fence may be tensioned while the fence is in process of weaving, or building; said wires being afterwards tightened in place and holding the fence permanently in position. Said post may be used any place along the line of the fence, at the end of said fence, or it may be used as a corner post and have two faces for the wire and two sets of bolts and clutches. Concrete is generally used as the material for the body of the post, but wood or other material may be used.

The objects of my invention are to provide a post with attachments by which the tensions of the wires of the fence may be regulated while the fence is in process of building and also by which the wires may be securely tightened and held in place when the fence is built. And when, through time, the fence sags, the tension of its wires, or any of them, may be taken up and the fence thus kept well stretched all the time through the use of these attachments.

I attain these objects by the use of a mechanism hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accom anying drawings and pointed out in the claims attached hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents the fence post set up with each wire in place in its corresponding tensioner, or fastener, and the post properly braced. Fig. 2 represents a section of the post with a part of the concrete material removedto show the iron strip which runs lengthwise through the part of the post above the ground against which iron a face of the square head, or shoulder, of the bolt rests to keep it from turning. It also shows the bolt with tap and clutch in place. In concrete posts the iron and bolts are molded in place in the post. In wooden posts the iron may be placed on the surface and the bolts put through holes made for that purpose, and

these holes may be square in the iron as shown by p and q in Fig. 4 or an edge of the iron on the surface may be made to engage a face on the square shoulder of the bolt. Fig. 3 shows the face of the clutch with aperture and groove. In Fig. 4, g represents an iron with broad flat surface and straight edges, having a length nearly equal to the height of the fence and square holes as shown by p and g to engage the square shoulders of each of the bolts.

Like letters and figures of reference indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

In Fig. 3, a is a groove in the clutch which receives the surface of the wire longitudinally as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

b is the aperture in the clutch which fits loosely over the end of the bolt, 1), as shown in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 2, is shown the square-shouldered bolt, (Z, in place in the postf, with a clutch in place over the bolt with its smooth face opposite its groove a, set flat against the face of the post.

6 is a wire bedded in the groove (1.

c is a nut which is screwed on the outer end of the bolt (Z and is large enough to grasp the wire, 6, between it and the clutch and hold said wire in the groove. If tension only be wanted for building the fence where it is to stand, the wire is clamped so as to allow it to move along according to the tension required; but if the clutch be used for a fastener, or permanent attachment, the nut is screwed down tight so as to hold the wire firmly in the groove.

If the fence be stretched to the right from the post, the groove in the clutch is turned down below the bolt so that the friction of the wire will draw the nut tighter, thus preventing the wire from slipping or getting loose and the fence from sagging. If the fence be stretched to the left from the post the clutch is turned with its groove above the bolt for the same purpose. 9 is an iron with a flat surface next to the bolt which iron runs through the length of the post above the ground, and is molded'in it in concrete posts, for the purpose of engaging a face of the square head, or shoulder, of the bolt h, to prevent it from turning. The bolts are also molded in the post if it be made of concrete.

In Fig. 1, the post is set up with all the attachments just described together with its braces.

01 is a brace iron molded in, or attached to, the post, near its top with the aperture 7c for the purpose of bolting the brace Z. j is an anehor-eye adjusted in the post nea its base for the purpose of attaching the anchor rod, or wire, m. n and n are hooks forming a part of the hinge for hanging the gate. I

0 is a brace post with which Z and m connect.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination with the body of a fence post, a wire clutch, a square-shouldered bolt and nut, attaching said clutch to a face of said post and holding a wire in the groove of said clutch, of an iron running lengthwise of said post and adapted to engage a face of the square shoulders of said bolt, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the body of a fence post, a clutch having a groove in its surface adapted to engage the surface of a wire and an aperture adapted to engage a bolt, a square-shouldered bolt and nut attaching said clutch to said post and holding a wire in said groove, an iron bar running lengthwise of said post adapted to engage a face of the square shoulders of said bolt, of a fence wire held in place by said clutch, bolt and nut, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. H. SCOTHORN.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. CLARK, NELsoN BOLENDER. 

